The devasting loss and psychological traumas experienced by the survivors of this tragedy will resonate for years to come.
Japan is the latest country to have experienced a natural disaster. The last quake in this nation was in 1960, which saw 41 people killed. This latest disaster which occurred on Friday morning the 11th of March has so far seen the death toll rise to 1,900. It is feared that this number could rise to the tens of thousands. The devasting loss and psychological traumas e

Survivors of the quake described apocalyptic scenes as fires ravaged homes, and wholes villages and homes were submerged under water. Even a few days after the quake, tremors and aftershocks were still being felt. In Minami Sanriku, a small fishing town whose main produce is rice and beef production. Reports have emerged that so far 10,000 inhabitants (half of its inhabitants) -including men, women and babies – are still missing. In Kensennuma, one third of homes were also submerged under water. One of the worst hit cities is Miyagi. According to regional police officer Naoto Takeuchi – the death toll could exceed 10,000 in one region alone. Devasting news for those who survived, and a huge economic toll for a government that will be keen to rebuild - bringing some semblance of normality back.

As scenes of soldiers carrying survivors on their backs to high ground filled our screens, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan though concerned by the security of the nuclear power plants assembled 50,000 troops for the recovery effort.

This disaster is possibly the worst to hit Japan since the nuclear bombs in the Second World War. Many are now living in shelters, hungry, anxious about their futures and seriously injured. International rescue efforts by Britain, US, France, Australia, South Korea, Singapore are all onboard. We should have Japan in our thoughts and prayers as they fight to overcome this tragedy.

At the time of going to press there were reports of nuclear blasts in Japan.